Sunday, July 3, 2011

Daily Adventures July 3 - 8, 2011

Well, we couldn't geocache last week, at least not on Friday, thanks to the government shut-down.  What's going on right now!?  The NFL, NBA, and MLB (Minnesota Legislative Body) are all shut down at the same time.

Fortunately, our cities and counties are open for business.  Here are some ideas for this week that don't rely on state money:

Sunday and Monday, July 3 and 4 The Minneapolis riverfront hosts the Red, White, and BOOM! Festival.  On Sunday there is the Hot Dam 5K fun run at 6:30 pm, followed by a Communist Daughter concert from 7 -9 pm at the Nicollet Island Pavilion.  (Funny band name on the 4th of July.  Is that irony?  I can never keep it straight thanks to Alanis Morissette.  But I digress)  Then Iron Man 2 shows at 9:15. 
On Monday the 4th, there's a half-marathon at 6:30 am (in case you feel like whipping off 13.1 miles on short notice) and a variety of concerts on four stages beginning at 3:30 pm.  Then from 6-9 pm at Father Hennepin Bluffs Park there will be free family entertainment and activities capped off with fireworks at 10 pm over the Mississippi.

Tuesday, July 5  I have a renewed appreciation for Minnehaha Falls this year.  If you've never been, or haven't been for a while, it's worth the trip.  The creek is really moving and the falls are quite impressive.  Start at the falls and follow the creek towards the Mississippi.  Stop at the wading pool on the way and cool your feet.  Bring water shoes if you've got 'em - the rocks are a little tough on my tender soles.  Then continue on about a mile to the river.  When you're done, there's a seafood cafe (Sea Salt) right at the falls and a DQ close by if you're looking for a treat.
  
Wednesday, July 6  Today we're taking the Rice Park Tour that begins at Landmark Center at 10 am.  The website says that we'll get an "exclusive look" and "learn the hidden secrets of the unique buildings surrounding Rice Park."  I'll eat it up, and hopefully my boys don't end up calling it the "Rice Park Disaster."  If the tour mentions the gangster era of St. Paul, we should be good.
 
Thursday, July 7  There's a bunch of opportunities at the Walker Art Museum today.  They have something called the Walker Open Field, offering a drawing club from 2-7 pm, an arrow workshop and exchange (this is artsy!) from 3-7, and an "acoustic campfire" from 8-9:30 pm.  If you want to just hang out, the Walker is free from 5-9 pm on Thursdays, and the Open Field has a "toolshed" of toys to use from 11 am to 5 pm.  It's all free!  Check out the website and find what you fancy.

Friday, July 8  The Twin Cities have miles of bike trails just waiting for you to roll over.  You can plan out your own bike tour using this page of bike trails.  The route that I favor takes me east from Cedar Avenue on the Midtown Greenway all the way to West River Parkway.  I take that south until it bends back west past Minnehaha Falls.  I follow the trail along the creek past Lake Nokomis and the Grand Ole Creamery (I recommend the sorbet) on Cedar Ave. and 48th St. before heading back home. 

 
Hope to see you on the trail!

2 comments:

  1. I LOVE your blog. Lots of your suggestions have made it onto our summer fun calendar! Thanks! Keep hoping to make it sometime when you guys are out and about so that I can see two of my favorite ex-studemts- but loving to see the pictures of them! Just wanted to mention that you don't have to go to a state park to geocache. They are EVERYWHERE- around the lakes, along the Greenway etc. If you have a smartphone, you can download c:geo opensource version. It is free and tells you where nearby caches are and allows you to navigate to them easily- using the GPS on your phone. Geocaching is one of our favorite things to do, so if you want more info, let me know!!

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  2. Great to hear from you! I'm glad you've found some things to do on the blog. Thanks for the geocaching tip!

    Tim

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